2018 Aflac Incorporated Benefits Guide

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CONTACT INFORMAT ION
This notice is a brief overview of a few important features of the
401(k) Plan. If there are discrepancies between the contents
of this notice and the 401(k) Plan document, the terms of the
401(k) Plan will govern. If you would like more information about
the 401(k) Plan, please refer to the summary plan description at
. If you’d
like a printed copy or need more information, please call the
Benefits Department at 706-317-0770.
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND
DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO YOUR INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Effective Sept. 23, 2013
This notice describes the ways your medical information may
be used and disclosed by the group health benefits programs
sponsored by Aflac (collectively the “Plan”). The Plan is required
by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (“HIPAA”) to maintain the privacy of protected health
information and to provide you with this notice of the Plan’s
legal duties and privacy practices. This notice also provides
information about how you may access your health information.
Please review it carefully.
Protected health information (“PHI”) means individually
identifiable health information that is created or received by
the Plan that relates to your past, present or future physical
or mental health or condition; the provision of health care to
you; or the past, present or future payment for the provision
of health care to you; and that identifies you or for which there
is a reasonable basis to believe the information can be used
to identify you. In addition to HIPAA, special protections under
state or other federal law may apply to the use or disclosure of
your PHI. The Plan will comply with other federal laws where
they are more protective of your privacy. If state law provides
privacy protections that are more stringent than those provided
by HIPAA, the Plan will maintain your PHI in accordance with the
more stringent state-law standard only to the extent the law is
not preempted by ERISA or other federal law.
In general, the Plan receives and maintains health information
only as needed for claims or Plan administration. The primary
source of your health information continues to be the health
care provider (for example, your doctor, dentist or hospital) that
created the records. Some health benefits are provided through
insurance where the Plan sponsor does not have access to PHI.
If you are enrolled in any insured arrangements, you will receive
a separate privacy notice from the insurer. Please note that the
group health benefits programs covered by this notice are part
of an organized health care arrangement because they are all
sponsored by Aflac. This means that the benefits programs may
share your PHI with each other, as needed, for the purposes of
payment and health care operations.
The Plan is required to operate in accordance with the terms
of this notice. The Plan reserves the right to change the terms
of this notice. If there is a material change to the uses or
disclosures, your rights or the Plan’s legal duties or privacy
practices, the notice will be revised and you will be notified.
The new provisions will apply to all PHI maintained by the Plan,
including information that existed prior to revision.
USES AND DI SCLOSURES PERMI TTED WI THOUT
YOUR AUTHORI ZAT ION OR CONSENT.
The Plan is permitted to use or disclose PHI without your
consent or authorization in order to carry out treatment,
payment or health care operations. Information about
treatment involves the care and services you receive from
a health care provider. For example, the Plan may use
information about treatment of a medical condition by a
doctor or hospital. Information about payment involves
activities by the Plan to provide coverage and benefits.
Payment activities include determinations of eligibility and
claims management. (For example, claims are made for
services you receive from a doctor.) The Plan may use and
disclose your PHI for health care operations to make sure
the Plan is well run, administered properly and does not waste
money. For example, the Plan may use information about your
claims to project future benefits costs or audit the accuracy
of its claims processing functions. The Plan may also disclose
your PHI to undertake underwriting, premium rating and other
insurance activities relating to changing health insurance
contracts or health benefits. However, federal law prohibits the
Plan from using or disclosing PHI that is genetic information
(e.g., family medical history) for underwriting purposes, which
include eligibility determinations, calculating premiums and any
other activities related to the creation, renewal or replacement
of a health insurance contract or health benefits. The Plan may
contact you to provide information about treatment alternatives
or other health-related benefits that may be of interest to you.
How to Apply for
Aflac Coverage